Thousands of people were without power Friday after trees covered in ice knocked out power lines across the area.

The weight of the ice from Thursday’s storm, combined with the falling snow, has caused limbs to break and trees to split, bringing down wires and leaving many in the dark.

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“We have nothing,” said Raymond Kennedy Sr., who lives in Greenwood. “And I’m telling you, it is bad over there.”

The ice, sleet and snow have snapped trees and power lines, causing transformers to explode.

“The branches are going to continue to add the weight to them and they’re going to fall,” said Greenwood Police Chief Will Dawson. “And if they’re above power lines, they’re going to take power lines out.”

Kennedy is among the customers without power.

“There’s trees down like crazy,” he said. “I’ve got a branch on my power line.”

Dawn Hannick has been without power since 8 p.m. Thursday. By candlelight and kerosene, Hannick and her husband were braving out what will be a cold Friday night.

“We’re bound to stay,” she said. “We have to.”

Blankets cover Hannick’s living room couches. Like many in the area, she was trying to stay warm as the night became colder.

“We need our power back,” Hannick said.

Police said gas is running low in the city. The line for fuel at one gas station was several cars deep Friday.

Officers from the Greenwood Police Department said they do not have a timetable for when the power will be restored for much of the area. They advised people to have a plan about what they will do as temperatures continue to drop.

Several neighbors said they tried to contact the electric companies to find out why they were still without power and were told crews are working as fast as they can to restore power across the area.